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KEN FIDLIN, QMI Agency

Jun 2, 2011

, Last Updated: 12:54 AM ET

TORONTO - With Wednesday night's first pitch still hours away, manager John Farrell was talking about how some losses leave a festering sore and how some other defeats are best forgotten immediately, if not sooner.

"I'm sure we're all victims of selective memory from time to time," Farrell said. "There are certain games that stay with you longer than others. For the most part, you've got to put them behind you once you leave the ballpark."

Little did the Blue Jay manager realize he would need to take an amnesia pill so soon.

Toronto starter Kyle Drabek didn't even get out of the first inning and the Cleveland Indians piled it on, building a 12-0 lead through three innings, on their way to a 13-9 decision.

It was an ugly thing to behold, a game unworthy of much reflection. Drabek faced eight batters, gave up four runs on three hits and three walks. He had already thrown 38 pitches (just 15 strikes) when Farrell came to get him with two outs.

"This is absolutely the worst start I've ever had," Drabek said. "I've never in my whole life not gone at least an inning. It's just one of those things I've got to forget about and go back out next start."

As Drabek continued to pile up pitches, Farrell decided to get his hook out as much for cautionary reasons as anything.

"With Kyle getting up around 40 pitches in the first inning, coming off 121 pitches in his last outing, I felt it was time to make a move," Farrell said.

Drabek's main problem is his failure to take the quality work he does in his side sessions to the mound for his starts, largely a result of his inability to control his emotions.

"His bullpens don't reflect what takes place in-game," Farrell said.

The Indians would strike for eight more in the third, seven of them (six earned) charged to Shawn Camp. Rajai Davis dropped a fly ball. Yunel Escobar dropped a pop-up. Cleveland first baseman Matt LaPorta belted a three-run homer and Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run double. By the time Jason Frasor was able to wrestle the Indians to the ground, they were leading by a dozen.

The Jays parlayed a baseball rarity -- three consecutive triples by Eric Thames, Davis and Jayson Nix -- along with a Corey Patterson infield single to score three times in the fifth. It was the first time in 30 years a team had three consecutive triples. Mike Gates, Tim Raines and Tim Wallach accomplished the feat for the 1981 Expos.

Davis added a three-run homer, his first of the year, in the sixth. They scored another in the seventh, then two more in the ninth on a Bautista single but that's where the rally stalled.

Jose is people's choice

Jose Bautista is leading all of Major League Baseball in early voting on the 2011 All-Star game ballot. Bautista, the MLB leader in many offensive categories, including home runs, has accumulated 1,261,659 votes, 76,000 more than Yankees' second baseman Robinson Cano. Another Yankee, Curtis Granderson, is second to Bautista among American League outfielders, some 267,000 votes in arrears.

Only nine Blue Jays have ever been voted to the all-star game, the second smallest number among AL teams. Only Tampa Bay has had fewer players voted in. If he gets voted in, Bautista will be the first Jay so honoured since 2003 when Carlos Degado was selected.

"I'm really excited about it," Bautista said. "I hope I get to start and I hope I'm the No. 1 vote-getter. It would be great for (the Blue Jays) to get our name out there.

"Knowing there are markets that really push for the voting and knowing that other teams are in bigger markets, I wasn't expecting it at all."

Playing in the AL East may have given Bautista a boost because fans in Boston and New York get to see him on a regular basis.

"I've been getting a lot of coverage all over the place and it's been great. It's nice to get recognized when you're doing well and to get your story out there. It's been great and I appreciate it."

Last year Bautista was at the game as an invitee but not for the home run derby, even though he was leading in homers at the time.

"I'm not expecting it but it would be nice to get. Fans are voting for that as well, so we'll see."

Bautista has seen pitchers adjust to him, trying to force him to get out of his disciplined approach. He knows that remaining patient is the key to keeping the hot streak going.

"They've got to throw the ball over the plate at some point. If you remain patient and lay off the bad pitches, they've got to throw you a strike eventually. I've been good at that these first two months and hopefully I can keep it up."